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Greinke may start for Dodgers on Wednesday

Recovering right-hander feels ready to pitch after first rehab outing

5/10/13: Zack Greinke talks about feeling good after his rehab start with Rancho Cucamonga going 4 1/3 innings and allowing six hits

By Austin Laymance
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MLB.com |

LOS ANGELES -- Zack Greinke will pitch somewhere on Wednesday, and it could be with the Dodgers.

A month after breaking his left collarbone, Greinke went 4 1/3 innings on Friday in his first rehab start with Class A Rancho Cucamonga. The right-hander did not have any lingering effects from the injury he suffered April 11 in a benches-clearing incident in San Diego.

Greinke could be on the mound for the Dodgers on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series against the Nationals, provided team doctors give him the green light.

"It won't be his decision," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said before Saturday's game against the Marlins. "It's not so much that he's ready to pitch here, it's that they're willing to take the risk of everything that could happen while he's pitching here. I think we would all like it to be here. But I'd also like him to be totally ready."

Greinke believes he's ready to be activated from the disabled list.

"I'll be close to 100 percent physically," Greinke said. "Pitching-wise, close to 100 percent. I'm probably five starts until I'm 100 percent pitching-wise and they don't want to wait that long."

Greinke allowed eight runs (three earned) on six hits against Lake Elsinore on Friday night, striking out four. He made 80 pitches. While the numbers do not look great, Greinke did not have any setbacks and used all his pitches.

"I wasn't great, but there were a lot of positives," Greinke said. "I made more mistakes than I'd like to have. My location was solid. It was like a middle of Spring Training to about the end of Spring Training start."

While Greinke was able to throw only a few weeks after surgery, he has yet to face live pitching. He's been hitting off a tee and said, "I could swing 100 percent if I wanted to."

If the Dodgers determine Greinke needs another rehab start, Matt Magill would be in line to start Wednesday. The rookie went five innings on Friday against the Marlins, allowing three runs in a no-decision.

Greinke was originally expected to miss up to eight weeks, but it appears he could be back in the Majors in nearly half that time.

"Honestly, I don't feel I've rushed it at all," Greinke said.

Austin Laymance is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.